


He Deserves Better

by goodgirl21



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst, Don't worry I have an alternate ending planned to cut through the angst of this!, F/M, Future Fic, Rufus has a small cameo., you may need tissues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-09-02 06:25:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8654188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodgirl21/pseuds/goodgirl21
Summary: It was only when they returned to their bed that night that the doubts started to keep it. Well not so much doubts, as a tiny voice in her head that told her this shouldn’t be her life. This should be Wyatt and Jess’ life, especially when she could do something to change it.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been three years since the defeat of Garcia Flynn. Three years since Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus had saved the majority of history, and two years since Wyatt and Lucy had gotten together.  Last night, Wyatt had purposed. While Lucy had been ecstatic and the smile hadn't left her mouth the entire night they were out with Rufus, it was only when they returned to their bed that night that the doubts started to keep it. Well not so much doubts, as a tiny voice in her head that told her this shouldn’t be her life. This should be Wyatt and Jess’ life, especially when she could do something to change it. 

So with that voice taunting her, she quietly removed herself from her place under Wyatt’s arm. Then she crept to where Wyatt’s desk was. After pulling out a blank sheet of paper and a pen, she began to write a note in case he woke up.

 _Wyatt_ , it read, _I once told you that you deserved to get Jess back and you do. You deserve to so much more though. More than I think I can give you, because this shouldn’t be my life, not when I know there is something I can do to change it. You might not be able to go back in time and fixed what happened to her, because I know you would if you could, but I can. I can go back and try to save her. No, I will save her, because that will make you happy and that will make me happy. I know by doing this, if all goes right, you won’t remember this-us. But if I’m the only one who remembers, that’s okay, because you’ll be happy and as a person who has fallen in love with you over the course of three years, that’s all I can ask for._

_I love you so much, but I don’t deserve you and that’s why I’m doing this. Because you deserve to get your wife back. You don’t deserve to settle for me. I love you._

_Love, Lucy._

She folded the note and placed it where she had been sleeping, before leaning over and pressing a feather light, but linger peck to his cheek. Wyatt didn’t even stir. Lucy pulled back, now understanding how Hermonie felt when she had to oblivate her parents when she had read Harry Potter, but now she did.  

“Rufus? Can you meet me? I need to do something and it involves time travel.” She explained into her phone as she got into her car, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

***

                “No. Nuh-uh. No way.  I will not help you. You and Wyatt are happy together. Why are you trying to ruin that?” Rufus had his arms folded across his chest while he was looking at Lucy.

“He doesn’t deserve that! He deserves to have his wife back!”

“I agree. So why are you here instead of there?” He shot back.

“Because I’m not her-” Lucy started.

“Not yet. But you will be.” His voice taking on a matter of fact tone.

“-and he deserves to have her back instead of settling for me. Because this shouldn’t be my life, when I can do something about it. I have to try Rufus.”

“And when it does work, what will happen to you? What will you do?” He asked her.

Lucy shrugged, “I’ll try and be happy for them. I have to be because Wyatt will be happy and that’s all I can ask for. And if you won’t help me then I’ll pilot it myself. Your choice.”

***

They came back and the first words out of Rufus’ mouth were, “Do you think it worked?”

“Only one way to find out.” Lucy responded, before looking up the date Wyatt’s wife died. Nothing came up.

“It worked,” Her answer was choked with emotion that she thought she should be feeling. Lucy ignored Rufus’ words of comfort and chose to go her apartment, a place she hadn’t called home in six months. In fact she had moved in with Wyatt and had been trying to sell it. But that wasn’t happening anymore. She should be happy. Wyatt had his wife back, but inside her heart was breaking.

***

A drink. That’s what she needed. She just wanted to numb the ache in her heart for a while. That’s all she wanted. She told herself the next day. She didn’t want to feel anything. Just for a little while. But she didn’t expect to run into Wyatt while she picked up a bottle of wine.

“Hey Luce,” he said with that mischief grin on his face and Lucy’s heart fractured a little more at the familiar nickname, “Jess didn’t see your RSVP for our vowel renewal. She was thinking it might’ve gotten lost.”

“Oh yeah, it must have.” Lucy forced a smile as she lied, “But I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. I’m going out of town for a while. A new job consulting on something that happened in history. I think I’ll be leaving the week before your ceremony.”

“Oh well Rufus and I won’t be getting a call saying we need to save history again, will we?” He joked. Lucy gave a small smile. “Let’s hope not.”

“Well I better get home. Jess is waiting on me. I hope you’re new job works out well for you.” He said, before he made a move to pass her.

“Thanks and Wyatt?” Wyatt stopped and turned to face her.

“I hope you and Jess continue to be happy. You two deserve it.” She tried to smile as she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then she walked out of the store and didn’t look back, because if she did she knew she surely break.

 

 

 


	2. Alt. Ending 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alt. Ending to the previous chapter where Wyatt makes it in time to stop them from going back in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see guys. I'm sorry, but I hit quite a bit of writer's block with writing everyone's favorite soldier. Anyways as I got to thinking about it, I realized that there was another way I could take this story. So there will be one more chapter in this story. Anyways, happy reading!

Wyatt couldn't tell you what woke him up. But just as he closed his eyes and rolled over, his arm expecting to find Lucy's waist. He found nothing in her place, but a piece of paper.

"Lucy," he yawned out. He was use to this. In the past six months of living together and the nights of them staying at his place for the past three years, he knew she would wake up at odd hours of the night and do her lesson plans. But if and when he usually woke up without her there, that he could convince her to come back to bed. Tonight was no different, except...he couldn't hear anything. Nothing but silence met him.

Wyatt couldn't hear her in the kitchen bustling about making coffee or tea. Or the shower running because she said it helped her think of ideas. It was only then, that his Delta Force instincts kicked in and he knew something was wrong.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, his hand coming in contact with the paper. He sighed in relief when he saw his name. But the relief quickly dissipated, after reading the note. 

Jumping out of bed, Wyatt struggled to put on his clothes from the night before as he dialed Rufus' number.

"She already call you? No, Rufus. Do not let her on the mothership!" The Delta Force operative paused to hear his friend speak, "No, it has nothing to do with saving history! She's going back to try and save Jess!"

Wyatt paused again to hear the pilot speak. "Of course I do! But not like this! Never like this. Not if it means Lucy too…"

"I'm on my way right now...but Rufus, I'm sending you a picture of the letter she wrote me if I don't make it in time. I want you to take your phone with you and promise to show it to me if history changes. Promise me, Rufus...Thank you. I'll see you in a little while. Just stall her for as long as you can." Wyatt said before he hung up and got into his car.

* * *

 

“-And he deserves to have her back instead of settling for me. Because this shouldn’t be my life when I can do something about it. I have to try Rufus.” _Good._ Wyatt thought. He caught them before they had left. But once more, his relief quickly left him, when her words registered with him.

She really...She really thought that? Did she really think that she didn't deserve to be his wife? That he still wasn't over Jessica's death? He thought he made it clear that he had made peace with Jess' death when he told her that they should stop focusing on fixing the past and focus on the present and new possibilities.

In fact, in some weird way, he thought maybe Jess brought him and Luce together-that this was her way of saying he should be happy.

“And when it does work, what will happen to you? What will you do?” He heard Rufus ask. But Wyatt had already started to move. He didn’t need to because he wasn’t going to let that happen. The soldier had already lost one wife; he wasn’t going to lose another.

“It doesn’t matter because you two aren’t going,” Wyatt told the pair as he moved forward. Lucy looked up, her eyes weren’t quite filling with tears, but they were definitely misty. She pivoted back towards Rufus.

“You were stalling me,” Lucy said her tone was filled with accusation.

“I told him to,” Wyatt explained as Rufus held up his hands in defense. The soldier then looked at his best friend.

“Hey Rufus, would you mind leaving me and Lucy alone for a minute? There are some things I have to talk to my fiancé about.” Lucy bit her bottom lip. This wasn’t going to end well.

“Why?” That was the first question out of Wyatt’s mouth after Rufus had left.

“Wyatt, I…” Lucy tried to find the words, but they weren’t coming. Instead, she fidgeted with her engagement ring.

Her engagement ring wasn’t an engagement ring at all because once she told the boys that she didn’t want a flashy engagement ring like Noah had gotten her. Instead, she had wanted something personal to one of them or both of them. So her engagement was a ring Wyatt had gotten for being promoted to Grand Master Sargent in the Delta Force.

Noticing the movement, the grand master sergeant swallowed then asked, “Do you…do you not want to marry me? Is that it? Do you think we’re moving too fast? Do you want to time? Because Lucy, I can wait. We don’t have to get married right away.”

“No Wyatt,” Lucy looked up abruptly, “I do want to marry you. But I also don’t want you to wake up one morning and think about what could’ve been with her. I don’t want you to have any regrets. I don’t want you to wake up one day and feel like you’re settling for me.”

“Lucy…” Wyatt’s hands cupped her face and the historian leaned into his touch.

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say I don’t feel anything for Jess because I will always love her. But I’ve…I’ve made peace with her death. I’m tired of living in the past. I want to look toward the future with you. I meant what I said three years ago. I want to explore new possibilities. I want to explore new possibilities with you.”

“I love you.” Those were the only words the historian could say.

“I love you too and I love what you were trying to do. But I don’t want you to. I’ll always love Jess. But I’ve made peace with her death. It’s time to move forward. Now can we go home?” Wyatt asked, after pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Well...we do have a wedding to plan.”

“That we do ma’am.” The Delta Soldier grinned. 

Rufus shook his head thoughtfully as he watched the couple exit the building.  Following after the duo a few minutes later, he wondered if there was a time when they were going to be one of those boring couples.

_Probably not._ He decided as he shut the door to his car and went back to Jia’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi to me felicitysmoaksx on Tumblr!


	3. Alt. Ending 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of what happens when Lucy and Rufus go back in and save Jessica (before Wyatt can make it to Mason in time) and it works. And what comes afterwards. *Set 3 months after the jump to save Jessica*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Guys! Sorry, this took so long, but I had about half of this written on my phone and then I went to upgrade my phone and I had to trade it in and none of my notes transferred over so I had to start over. And despite writing like a mad woman and trying to get this up on the Season 2 premiere date, I couldn't. So close though.
> 
> Also to be completely honest I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out overall, but never the less I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> *Oh and as a side note, when they're talking about Wyatt in the timeline Rufus and Lucy came from, it'll be bolded and italicized. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

             Wyatt stared ahead as he slowly chugged his beer, instead of his phone, that when he turned it on would show the picture of the message the other Wyatt in the other timeline had told Rufus to give him if the other Wyatt couldn’t make it in time to stop them. Which Wyatt guessed, the other Wyatt didn’t make it in time.

He was waiting for Jess. He needed to talk to her about...well everything.

**~~~**

_“Hey buddy what are you doing here?” Wyatt asked his friend after he answered the door. A smile had been on his face. But then Rufus asked a question that drove the smile right off Wyatt’s face._

_“Look, you have to believe I’m only asking you this because I have a good reason. Okay? Okay. Are you happy with your wife?”_

_“What-” Wyatt sputtered. That was a question he had not been expecting._

_“Why...why are you asking me that?” Not knowing what else to say, he just blinked at the engineer._

_Rufus sighed, running his hand over his face. “I can’t tell you that. Not yet at least. I need to know this first and honestly, not a knee-jerk reaction to my question because it’s a weird question.”_

_**Honesty. Rufus wanted honesty.**_

_And with this question...and the way Rufus was acting, this...this was serious. Wyatt needed to be honest. The soldier heaved a sigh._

_“Not exactly. Sure, we have our good days. But most days, they’re bad. We’ve been fighting a lot. But you already know that-that we thought our vow renewal would help. But it didn’t Rufus. It didn’t.”_

_“Actually I don’t.” Rufus laughed in a clipped tone._

_“Don’t what?” Wyatt looked up at his friend with a bewildered expression._

_“Know. I don’t know how bad things are with your wife or your wife in general.” Rufus told his friend hastily, before launching into an explanation on how he was from another timeline, how in that timeline something happened to Jessica and wasn’t in the picture anymore. Which he wouldn’t go into a lot of detail with, but then he went on to explain how in that timeline he and Lucy had been together-how Wyatt had proposed to Lucy._

_“But Lucy thought you’d be happier with Jessica because we didn’t know her and in the beginning, you were so desperate to get her back. She was...she thought she was doing what was best for you. That’s why she wasn’t at your vow renewal. Not because she went out of town on some job.” Rufus continued. The words were spewing out of his mouth. As if he couldn’t control them coming out. Once he started, he couldn’t stop._

_“But that’s not the point, the point is, **the you** in my timeline, she wrote you something if you woke up. **The other** **you did** and **you** called me after **you** read it. **You** asked me to stall her. But **you** also made me promise something. If **the other you** couldn’t make it in time, **you** sent me a picture of what she wrote **you** and **the other you** said to bring back my phone from that timeline and show the you in this timeline. That’s why I asked such a bizarre question and that’s why I needed a completely honest answer because if you were honestly happy with Jessica, I couldn’t wreck your marriage with her.” He handed over his phone. The picture was already loaded._

_Wyatt took it carefully, accepting it as if it were a bomb. Which in a way it was, a bomb that could detonate his already fragile marriage._

_“Have you read it?” He asked. The engineer shook his head._

_“It’s not my business to read. That’s between you and Lucy. And look, man, I know this is an impossible situation and I’m not telling you what to do or guilt trip you. But Lucy’s like my sister and I think she’s hurting. She’s been going out, trying to get over you to let you try and be happy with Jessica, but I don’t think it’s working.”_

_Wyatt shook his own head, before sending the photo to his phone._

_“Rufus, I appreciate this, but I think I would like to be alone when I read the letter. But I have one more question. You had said Jess hadn’t been in the picture in the timeline you’re from. Was I divorced?” Wyatt asked and his friend visibly winced._

_“She had passed away. When Lucy and I met you, she’d been gone six years? I think that’s what **you** told us. That’s why Lucy and I went back to change and now we’re here.” Rufus answered. _

_“Do know why Lucy would think she was doing what was best for me?” Wyatt asked. The engineer shrugged._

_“When we first started the mission, **the other you** was so desperate to go back and changed the fact that Jessica had passed. I think Lucy thought you’d be happier with her.” _

_A beat passed._

_“Were we happy?”_

_“Very much so. You were very hands-y with her. There are even a few visuals I want to burn from my memory.” Rufus’ attempt at a joke didn’t go over very well._

_The Grand Master Sargent just sighed, “Thanks, Rufus.”_

_His best friend gave him a comforting pat on the back before he left Wyatt alone with his thoughts._

**~~~**

                Wyatt read it. Of course, he read it and now it was all he could think about. Especially knowing that he and Lucy were happy. He took another long swig of his beer. He really needed to talk to Jess. Sure, in the beginning, he had been attracted to Lucy. He had even seen her naked back once and couldn’t keep himself from looking. (Even with him being married)  Then with time, their friendship grew while going on those missions and with their friendship, his feelings started to develop. But he loved Jessica, (Even with them fighting a lot. Then more than ever because he couldn’t tell her about the mission) so he never did anything, because his Grampa Sherwin had raised him better than that.

_But now…with this new information._ Wyatt gritted his teeth. Jessica really needed to come home and soon.

“Hey, so I picked up dinner on my way home. We’re having-really Wyatt? It’s not even six o’clock yet and you’re already drinking?” The Grand Master Sargent tightened his hold on the bottle.

_And so it starts._ He thought to himself while setting the bottle down on the table. He cleared his throat, watching as she unpacked the food on the counter.

“I need to talk to you about something. It’s about us.” Wyatt saw her visibly tense up. She turned.

“What about _us_?” _Careful Logan, tread lightly._

“Jess, we haven’t been happy for a while now. It’s been almost a year.” He started.

“ _And whose fault is that_? This started when you told me you couldn’t tell me about your mission with _Mason Industries._ ” _Now you’re in the minefield. Remember slow and steady. One wrong move and you’re toast._

“No, this started long before that and you know why I couldn’t tell you about the Mason thing. It was classified. _Authorized personnel only_. If I told you, I would’ve gotten court marshaled _._ ”

“That’s bullshit, Wyatt-”

“You see? We’re fighting now and I think…” _Here goes Logan…_

“I think I’m done fighting with you.” _No going back now._

“ _And what exactly, does that mean? Do you want to divorce me, Wyatt?_ ” Wyatt couldn’t find the words to speak. Jessica slammed down the Chinese food container she had been holding. 

“I thought you loved me!” Now she was crying and that got Wyatt’s voice to work. He stood up and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“I do Jess. I do. I always will. But things haven’t been right for a while. You know that and I know that. So I think its best if we let each other go now before we end up hating each other.” He said and she sagged against him. All the fight just deflated out of her.

“You’re probably right. Wyatt, I hope you’re happy. It just can’t be with me.” She whispered. Wyatt nodded and pressed a loving kiss to her head.

“I hope you’re happy to Jess, but you’re right. It just can’t be with me.”

**~~~**

                Wyatt had decided that Karmara and Jealousy must be related because they were both bitches.

“Wyatt? What are you doing here?” Lucy asked when she flung open the door and saw it was him. But the Grand Master Sargent wasn’t looking at her; he was looking at the guy that stood behind her. He glanced down at her. It looked like they were about to go on a date. Something that Rufus had said before he left echoed in his head.

_“She’s been going out, trying to get over you to let you try and be happy with Jessica, but I don’t think it’s working.”_

But jealousy still reared its ugly head.

“We need to talk,” he said to Lucy, and then he looked at the guy, “Get out.”

“Wyatt!” Lucy cried. But Wyatt didn’t hear her as he spoke to the guy again.

“I said get out!”

The guy came forward, but he wasn’t looking at Wyatt. He was looking at Lucy.

“Lucy…?”

“I think it’s best if you go. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She turned back and walked over to him, before she gave him a tight smile, walking toward the door with the guy in tow.

“No, she won’t.” Wyatt slammed the door in his face.

                When Wyatt turned back to face Lucy, she had her arms crossed with a withering glare on her face and it was all directed at him.

“You want to tell me why you threw my date out?” Her anger continued to grow with each word, which in turn just made Wyatt angrier.  Instead of answering verbally, the Grand Master Sargent tossed his phone onto her kitchen counter. The photo of her letter was already waiting for her.

The historian picked up the phone. He saw her recognition when she realized what it was. He smiled bitterly when she glanced up at him.

“How-how’d you get this?” Her voice was choked as if she had swallowed something that hadn’t agreed with her.

“Apparently **_I_** woke up in the other timeline and found your note. **_I_** called Rufus. **_I_** sent him that picture and told him to take his phone with him. Then **_I_** made him promise to show me in this timeline. Which he did, tonight.” He explained.

                “Wyatt I…” She had started to fidget with a chain around her neck.

“Where’d you get that?” It was then that Wyatt noticed what was on the chain. It was his Delta Force Ring.

“It is-was my engagement ring. After our first mission, I came back for our second mission with my sister gone from existence and engaged to some guy I didn’t know. A big flashy diamond. But I didn’t like that ring. I’ve always wanted something personal. To both of us or one of us. This,” she gestured to the ring on the chain, “is what **_you_** came up with. I loved it then and I love it now.”

_What do you say to that?_

   “Lucy…” He started, but he had no idea where he was going.

“Look I know what I did wasn’t okay. Taking away **_your_** choice like that. But at the time it sounded like the right call. We were happy, but I thought **_you_** might wake up one night and wonder what might’ve been with Jessica.” Lucy swallowed.

“I didn’t want you to wake up one day and think **_you_** settled for me when **_you_** knew **_you_** could have your wife back.”

“Oh Luce,” Wyatt tried again. But she wasn’t hearing him.

“I love you and you want the person you love to be happy right? So I thought this would make you happy. No matter how I might feel. If you were-are happy, I can live it.” She continued and now he could see her tears.

                “Hey, hey,” the anger he had felt before deflated at the sight of her crying. The Grand Master Sargent was in front of her within a nanosecond and wrapping her up in a tight hug, “Rufus said that Jess had been gone when **_I_** met you, so you didn’t know how bad it was between us, huh? **_I_** never told you how bad things were at the end?”

Lucy shook her head against his chest.

“Look I love Jess. I always will and I’ll always care about her, but we aren’t right for each other. We fought…constantly. We stopped making each other happy a long time ago. That’s why I asked for a divorce tonight.” He explained, running a hand through her hair. The words had meant to be soothing, but apparently, they weren’t based on how quickly she pulled out of his arms.

“Wait, _tonight_ as in after Rufus told you about _all of this_?”

Wyatt shook his head violently at what she was getting at.

_Nice one Logan._

“No, Luce, it’s not like that. It’s not okay? Like I said, Jess and I fought constantly. We were a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. This wasn’t just about you. But I’d be lying if I said you, didn’t propel me into making the decision before we exploded.” He tried to tell her. She still didn’t look convinced.

“Ma’am, I promise. We were already heading that way. Have I ever lied to you before?” Lucy smiled a bit, shaking her head.

“You called me back that in my timeline too.” She said softly.

“Well of course,” he looked mock insulted, “I was born in Texas, where we’re raised to be southern gentlemen.”

“More like a reckless hot head,” Lucy muttered.

“Better than a bossy know it all,” was his teasing response.

                She laughed and he grinned, but all too soon it was over. When she looked up at him her gaze had turned serious.

“Are you sure your marriage didn’t end because of me?”

“Lucy, I’m sure.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Okay?”

“Okay,” now he grinned at her. Then he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? Was it good? Bad? Let me know!
> 
>  
> 
> [Come say hi to me felicitysmoaksx on tumblr and maybe leave me a prompt? ](https://felicitysmoaksx.tumblr.com/)


End file.
